Omoboriowo, A.O et al.

, IJSID, 2013, 3 (4), 452-457

ISSN:2249-5347

IJSID

International Journal of Science Innovations and Discoveries

Research Article
NIGERIA

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Available online through www.ijsidonline.info

BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOENVIROMENTAL STUDIES OF LEPA-1 AND BOVI-1 WELL, CHAD AND SOKOTO BASIN, Omoboriowo, A.O.1. Etu-Efeotor, J.O1. Chiaghanam, O.I2. Yikarebogha, Y3. Soronnadi-Ononiwu, G.C4 .Okengwu. K .C1,
1Dept.

of Geology, University of Port Harcourt,; ZDept. of Geology, Anambra State University Uli 3Drilling Department, NPDC, Benin; 4Dept. of Geology, Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Nigeria. ABSTRACT

Received: 09-07-2013 Accepted: 28-08-2013

*Corresponding Author

been studied from ditch cuttings and core samples from Lepa-1 well, and Bovi-1 wells the Pliocene Pleistocene lacustrine sediments comprising mostly clays, sandy and silty clays, and sand belonging to the Chad Formation and the highly distinctive upper Cretaceous dark gray silty carbonaceous shale unit which underlies it. The foraminiferal assemblages of the upper Cretaceous dark gray shale unit underlying the Chad Formation

The upper cretaceous and tertiary sediments of the Chad, and Sokoto basins have

respectively. The sedimentary sequences penetrated and sampled in Lepa-1 well include

is dominated by arenaceous benthonic foraminifera comprising mostly Haplophragmoides species such as H. sahariensis H. Hausa. H. Rugosa, H. baucnensis, H. benuensis and H. Pindigensis and Ammobaculites species which include Ammobaculties Numanhinsis, A. Reophax sp. are also associated with the assemblages. The generic composition of the and micaceous material suggests a probable marshy estuarine lacaustrine environment of Lepa-1 and Bovi-1 and deposition for the upper cretaceous shale unit. The sample sequences penetrated by the and gypsiferous nature of the samples and their associated foraminiferal assemblages are sequences traversed in the well. benuensis, A. irregularity formis and A. numanninsis. A. benuensis. A. irregulariformis and A. bauchensis. Few specimens of calcareous benthonic species such as lenticulina sp. and Name: Omoboriowo, A.O Address: Dept. of Geology, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt Place: Nigeria E-mail: adeboriowo@yahoo.com assemblages characterized by a low diversity, coupled with the presence of carbonaceous well comprises predominantly gypsiferous and phosphatic

siltstone, claystone, silty claystone, and black carbonaceous mudstone. The phosphatic

indicative of a shallow marshy hypersaline marine depositional environment for the

International Journal of Science Innovations and Discoveries, Volume 3, Issue 4, July-August 2013 Key words:

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Omoboriowo, A.O et al., IJSID, 2013, 3 (4), 452-457 INTRODUCTION well was also drilled in the Sokoto basin. The Lepa-. 1 well was drilled to a depth greater than 1280m but the interval sampled interval of 2.42 54m at irregular but closely spaced intervals. A total of 42 core samples were analysed. longitudes 40W and 50E. paleoecology. Lepa-1 Well is among the series of petroleum exploration wells currently being drilled in the Chad basin. The Bovi-1

and analysed in this study covers an interval of 55-1280m. a total of 17% ditchcuttings were sampled and analysed. The samples analysed in Lepa-1 well section covered a depth interval of 1.68 32.53m while that of Bovi-1 well covered a depth Location of the Study Area Lepa-1 well and Bovi-1 well is located South east of Maiduguri, Nigeria. It lies between latitude

120N and 110S and longitude 140E and 130W of Maiduguri. The Bovi-1 well are between latitudes 120N and 110S, and Aim and Objective The object of this study is to describe the foraminiferal assemblages recovered from Lepa-1 well (Chad basin) and Bovi-1 well (Sokoto basin) with the aim of providing additional information on their biostratigraphy and METHODOLOGY LABORTORAY ANALYSIS (a) Lithological Description: The exercise is basically done using 2.0m concentration of HCI to check fo reffervescence. Effervescence indicates the presence bioturbation and other observable features. This involves description of the lithologic aspect of the samples collected to check the presences of calcareous forms.

of calcareous forms while the reverse is absence of calcareous forms. In line with this, the proper depth by depth description of all samples collected was made. It involves type of rock, facies type, colour, presence and absence of calcareous forms, (b) Biostratigraphic preparation method: and treated with 2g Sodium bicarbonate (Na 2CO3 ) and brought to boil at about 200C for some minutes.. Samples were turned into plastic containers and allowed to cool. Cooled samples were washed using a set of sieves Set of sieves 90, 75 & 53m respectively in a jet of water. Residues from each sieve was collected and dried.. The dried samples were examined using carried out on species with aid nomenclature. Species were also counted and recorded. PRESENTATION OF RESULT (a) Lithostratigraphy lithostratigraphy of the units.The lithologic sequences penetrated by Lepa-1 Well at the interval sampled (55- 1280m). The basal unit of the section comprising carbonaceous silty shale extends from a depth of 1085m to 1280m, covering a thickness of 100m, have thickness range of 5 70m. 195m within the interval sampled, it contain micaceous and pyritized materials. This unit is homogenous and grades upwards into alternating sequences of silty clays, silty sands sandy silt, and clays silt. The clays silt occupies a depth interval of 560 recovered from sample at depths of 560 and 23 indicating the presence of igneous intrusives. The interval 560 55m is occupied by similar sequence which are more arenaceous, containing pebbles, grading and minor traces of calcareous material International Journal of Science Innovations and Discoveries, Volume 3, Issue 4, July-August 2013 Some units are feruginized, such as the unit occupying the interval 785- 835m. Clips of granite material were The stratigraphic units outline by Barbers 1965 and modified by Kogbe (1976) was adopted in the discussion of the paleontological microscope at varying magnifications and the fossils were picked and morphological examinations were then Samples for each depth were pulverized and 10g weighed into enamel container. The samples were mixed with water

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Omoboriowo, A.O et al., IJSID, 2013, 3 (4), 452-457 especially the depth of 715m. The silty carbonaceous shale unit may be an equivalent of the marine estuarine and pure marine

state belonging to the Gongila and Fika formation respectively and may include the carbonaceous silt, clay unit. These

sequences may thus represent the Turonian- senonian interval (upper cretaceous). Evidences from the columnar section of various boreholes in the basin ,Barber (1965), Kogbe (1975) suggests that the Paleoccone and Maastritctian unit belonging to the Kerikeri Formations. For Sokoto Basin , The stratigraphic units of the Sokoto basin have been correlated using paleontological geochemical and lithostratigraphic criteria and their ages and paleoenvironmets determined by several workers. (b) BIOSTRATIGRAPHY have been similarly

ostracods, with a preponderance of the foraminferal species. The samples assigned to the Lepa-1 and Bovi-well Formtion yielded the assemblages which comprise both the arenaceous and calcareous species with a preponderance of the calcareous assemblages makeup over 99% the sequences above the upper cretaceous unit yielded with very few specimens. The generic material suggests a probable marshy estuarine lacaustrine environment of deposition for the upper cretaceous shale unit. claystone, silty claystone, and black carbonaceous mudstone species. The calcareous benthonics constitute less than 1% of the entire assemblages recovered while the arenaceous composition of the assemblages characterized by a low diversity, coupled with the presence of carbonaceous and micaceous The sample sequences penetrated by the well comprises predominantly gypsiferous and phosphatic siltstone,

The fauna recovered from the samples in Lepa and Bovi-1 wells comprises an association of foraminifera, and

The predominant calcareous species include Elphidium sp (a) Elphidiella Africana and E. arctica and few specimens of Elphidiodes americanus, Ozawaia specie and dentallina species. The arenaceous species associated with these assemblages are dominated by involute, Haplophragmoides species with vitreous test wall such as Haplophragmoides sp. H. bauchensis, Numanhenss A. benuenss. A. specie, A. specie and Trochammna species , some of whose taxonomic category could not be wells shows that the calcareous species constitute more than 88% of the assemblages the arenaceous benthonies, about 11% determined due to inadequate literature and poor preservation. A depth to depth analysis of the assemblages recovered from while ostracods make up the remaining 1%. The foraminiferal assemblages are represented by 8 genera and 15 species. The phosphatic and gypsiferous nature of the samples and their associated foraminiferal assemblages are indicative of a shallow represented in the assemblages recovered from each depth. (See Plate 1) PLATE-1-Foraminifera Pictures marshy hypersaline marine depositional environment for the sequences traversed in the well. Most of the species are well bauchensis, Ammobaculites bauchensis and A. irregulatiformis , other species represented by few specimens are Ammobaculites

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Omoboriowo, A.O et al., IJSID, 2013, 3 (4), 452-457

Plate 1 : Some of the forms different forms of Foraminifera (Ammobaculites) encountered in the study. DISCUSSION OF RESULT assemblages recovered from the basal silty carbonaceous shale samples comprises mostly arenaceous benthonic species such as Ammobaculites and Haplophragmoides species and few calcareous benthonics such as Rheophax, nad Lenticulina species, which are poorly represented. Also, the species making up the assemblages are small, poorly preserved, and of low diversity, though some species show some degree of dominance over others with in some assemblages. Though no statistical method was used to assess their diversity, the low values of their diversity is quite apparent from their low count, fairly uniform (Murray 1971). distribution, and range. These values would be consistent with the low diversity range of value for marshes and Lagoons (1976), those assemblages can be assigned to the stable morphohgroup category because of the predominance of Szczchura and Pozaryska (1974), for small benthic foraminiferal species places limited on their paleoecological distribution. from the inner neritic to the littoral zone as suggested by their composition. Using the morphogroup method of paleoenvironmental analysis, in accordance with the model outlined by Chamney Lepa- 1 wells As was observed from the study and discussion of the biostratigraphy of Lepa- 1 well, the foraminiferal

Haplophragmoides, and Ammobaculites species which are suggested to be adapted to stress, and marginal marine

environments, such as lagoons, estuaries, and epeiric seas. The strong paleo-bathymetric dependence emphasized by The arenaceous benthonic assemblages of Lepa-1 Well will in this regard belongs to the shallow marine environment, that is, assemblages. These assemblages comprise mostly the calcareous benthonic species such as Elpphidiium sp. Elphidiella species, each assemblage and are therefore of fairly even distribution and range within tier intervals of occurrence. These assemblages are therefore of low diversity also. The concurence of the arenaceous benthonic species with calcareous benthonic species depositional environment. such as Elphidiella Africana is indicative of shallow marine environment (Peters 1979), such as lagoons, marshes, and estuaries for the assemblages. The gypsiferous and diphosphatic nature of the samples further suggests a shallow marine The carbonaceous silty shale unit of Lepa- 1. well which contains and almost exclusive preserve of arenaceous In the Bovi-1 well, the Paleocene sequences penetrated showed marked similarity in their lithology and foraminiferal

and arenaceous benthonics such as Ammobaculites, and Haplophragmoides species . These species are also fairly represented in

benthonic assemblages of foraminifera, similar to the assemblages described from the upper cretaceous sequences of the

north eastern Benue trough, has been assigned to this unit. It has also been suggested that the carbonaceous silty shale unit may belong to the same depositional regime as the upper cretaceous unit in the north eastern Benue Trough. Sporadic occurence of planktonic species were reported by Peters (1979), from the upper section of the Jessu formation and non at all sequences constitutes one of the major problems in their stratigraphic correlation and establishing the possibility of faunal International Journal of Science Innovations and Discoveries, Volume 3, Issue 4, July-August 2013 from other upper cretaceous sequences. The carbonaceous silty shale unit of Lepa- 1 well also yielded no Planktonics in there

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Omoboriowo, A.O et al., IJSID, 2013, 3 (4), 452-457 exchange between the two basins in upper cretaceous times. However, the presence of planktonic specie is still not ruled out the arenaceous benthonics already found, the possibility of diagenetic dissolution of the calcareous species to which most shale unit of Lepa- 1 well.

taking into account the fact that enough investigation has not been performed the sediments, the cosmopolitan character of planktonics belong and laterization. These factors enumerated, may account for the barren zone aboe the carbonaceous silty such as Elphidium, species and Elpidiella species, suggested to be useful for regional and local stratigraphic correlation (Peters 1979) were recovered in boreholes. The absence of planktonic specie in the samples is however consistent with earlier reports by Peters (1979) on the foraminiferal species of the Dange and Wuno Formations whose units are represented by these the Wuno may also be due to the factors enumerated for the barren sections of Lepa 1 well excluding the comsmopolitan factor associated with its arenaceous benthonic species, as the samples from the Bovi boreholes yielded mostly calcareous benthonics. CONCLUSION samples analyzed from the well. The barrenness of various sections in the the well particularly the lower sections, belonging to The samples from Bovi-1 yielded no planktonic foraminifera. The species typical of the tethyan carbonate fauna

parameters which include the presence of carbonaceous matter pyritic and micaceous materials, a marshy lacaustrine shallow marshy hypersaline marine depositional environment. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Based on the biostragrahic data obtained from Lepa-1 well and Bovi-1 Well, further supported by geochemical

estuarine paleoenvironmet of deposition is suggested for the sequences traversed in Lepa- 1 well. The gysiferous and diphosphatic nature of the sequences in Bovi-1 well together with their associated foraminiferal assemblages, suggests a REFERENCES

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